Machine for making spirally-wound tubes



Nov. 24, 1931. c. F. SMITH momma: FOR MAKING SPIRALLY WOUND TUBES Filed Dec. '22. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. CKMIe/J 35 M711.

= MM M 575141 ATTORNEY.

Nov. 24, 1931. c. F. SMITH 1,833,378

MACHINE FOR MAKING'SPIRALLY WOUND TUBES Filed Dec. 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR wzflm E}. 5M4,

a ATTORNEY Patented Nov; 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES F. SMITH, O1 BROOKL'Y N, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

LILY-TULIP CUP CORPORATION, OF NE WARE W YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELA- M ACHINE FOR MAKING S PIRALLY-WOUND TUBES Application filed December 22, 1928. Serial No. 327,803.

This invention relates to machines for making spirally-wound tubes and more particularly to means for applying an adhesive to strips of material used in such tubes.

In the manufacture of spirally-wound tubes, a plurality of paper strips are used, an adhesive being applied to the strips immediately before they are spirally wound to form a tube. However, it has been found that the adhesive is usually too moist at the instant of-application to the strips, with the result that it dries so late as to be ineflicient to prevent the strips from unwinding.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device by which the adhesive may be partially dried at the instant it is applied to strips so that the holding properties of the adhesive 1P8 properly utilized.

With this and other objects in view, which will appear later herein, my improvements comprise features illustrated in one embodiment thereof and which may be the preferred embodiment, in the drawings which accompany this specification, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an adhesive applying device and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the drying and adhesive applying device.

The present invention is concerned with the production of a tube comprising a plurality of relatively narrow strips of sheet material, preferably paper, the first of which is wound spirally about a mandrel and preferably is delivered onto the mandrel at such an angle as to cause the leading edge of the strip to lie in close proximity to or in contact with the rear edge of the last mandrel-enwrapping portion of the strip, whereby a one thickness substantially continuous tube is formed.

The tube is completed by winding spirally in the same direction, one or more strips similar to that of which the one thickness tube is formed. The second strip is preferably of the same width as the first strip and is preferably laid at the sameangle and in parallelism therewith, but it is so directed onto the under tube as to overlap the adjacent joining edges of the successive convolutions of the under tube. The additional strip is provided with an adhesive upon that side thereof which contacts with the previously laid strip, whereby it is caused to adhere to the under strip, thus forming a continuous two thickness tube; and the present invention is directed towards improved means for applying the adhesive to the strip and drying it thereon.

Directing attention to the drawings, paper strips 17 and 18 are fed between guide rollers 19, 20, 21, 22, respectively over and under guide pulleys 23, 24, 25, 26 respectively onto mandrel 27 which is encircledseveral times by a belt 28, the latter engaginglthe strips to wind them about the mandre Strip 17 passes over an adhesive applying head 29, which is provided with a guide flange 30 and a plurality of apertures 31. The head 29 is mounted upon pipe 32, which leads through valve 33 to a supply tank 34 containing liquid adhesive.

Adjacent the head 29 is the flattened mouth 35 of a pipe36 through which heated air is forced in order towarm and dry the adhesive immediately after it is applied to strip 17. The air is heated to a temperature which will partially remove the moisture from the adhesive so that when strip 17 engages strip 18 on the mandrel, the adhesive will 'be sticky and in a condition to readily adhere to strip 18 and thus securely hold the two strips together.

Pipe 36 leads to a heating device 37 which may contain electrical heating coils or other heating means, air at room temperature being passed through the heater 37 to be exhausted at the proper tempera ure through mouth 35.

The tank 34 and pipe 32 are mounted upon a plate 38 which is slidable between flanges 39 and 40 on bracket 41. The plate 38 is provided with a longitudinal rib 42 which has a threaded recess to accommodate the screw 43, the latter being rotatably mounted on the ledge 44, integral with the bracket 41. The screw 43 is restrained from longitudinal movement with the result that rotation of the screw will slide the plate between the flanges and enable the position of the tank and pipe 32 to be micrometrically adjusted so that the adhesive may be I properly applied to strip 17.

In operatlon, adhesive is fed from the head 29 through the hexagonal apertures 31 onto strip 17 The hexagonal shape of the apertures causes an even application of the adhesive, and the shape of-these apertures represents an important feature of this in-v vention. Immediately. after the applicationof the adhesive, it is heated by the .warm air from pipe 36 until it is quite sticky, and when strip 17 engages strip 18, the two strips are firmly held together.

It will be noted that the upper surface of the head 29 is arcuate and positioned slightly above the lowermost point of pulley 23, so that strip 17 forms a reverse curve as it I passes from pulley 23, over the head 29 and thence onto the mandrel 27. This arrangement maintains a positive engagement between head 29 and the strip, the-strip acting as a dam to the gum and insuring the proper application of the adhesive to the strip, and prevents the adhesive from excessively exuding through the apertures 31 to spread over the head.

The foregoing disclosure isv to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention,

1. In a machine of the class described, an

apparatus for applying adhesive to a strip of material, said apparatus comprising a head having a plurality of hexagonal apertures over which the strip passes, a flange on the head to guide the strip, means adjacent the head to heat the adhesive immediately after it is applied to the strip, and a supply tank from which the adhesive is forced by gravity to exude through the hexagonal apertures in the head.

2. In a machine of the class described, an apparatus for applying adhesive to a strip of material, said apparatuscomprising a imam j" 7-5 j to a strip of material, a head 'havinga plurality of hexagonal apertures to cause-the adhesive to be evenly-distributed *on the stri and a flange integral with the head to. gui e the strip.

5. In an apparatus for applying adhesive hesive immediately after it has been applied to the strip. I

6. In a machine of the class described, an

apparatus for applying adhesive to a strip of material, comprising a supply tank, a pipe rigidly fixed to the tank, a' head on the pipe positioned adjacent the strip of material and through which adhesiveexudes, and means connected with the tank for micrometrically adjusting the position of the head relative to the strip.

7 In an apparatus for applying adhesive to a strip of material a head having a plurality of hexagonal apertures to cause the adhesive to be evenly distributed on the strip, said head having an arcuate upper surface.

In witness whereof, I hereby aflix my signature this 20th day of December, 1928.

CHARLES F. SMITH.

head having a plurality of apertures over which the strip passes, a pipe positioned adj acent the head through which warm air may be forced to heat the adhesive immediately after it is applied to the strip, and a supply tank from which adhesive is forced to exude through the apertures in the head 3. In an apparatus for applying adhesive to a strip of material, a head having a plurality of hexagonal apertures to cause'the adhesive to be evenly distributed on the strip.

4. In an apparatus for applying adhesive 

